JOHANNESBURG – Former South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) boss Hlaudi Motsoeneng will appear in the Labour Court on Wednesday. He’ll have to provide to the court an explanantion as to why he shouldn’t be held personally liable for the wrongful dismissal of eight journalists from the public broadcaster, while he was still at the helm.
The journalists were axed after they spoke out against political censorship at the public broadcaster.
They took their case to the Labour Court, which overturned their dismissal, and they were reinstated.
On May 11, the Labour Court granted the application by trade union Solidarity, to add Motsoeneng, along with acting head of news Simon Tebele, as respondents in the trade union’s cost order case against the SABC.
Motsoeneng did not attend the last court appearance on August 15. There were also no legal representative in court for Motsoeneng to explain his absence
Judge David Gush postponed the case to September 6 after Tebele appeared alone and complained that he was unwell.
The SABC has reportedly withdrawn its attorneys from representing the duo.
Gush ruled that both Motsoeneng and Tebele be present when the court proceedings resume on 6 September. The case would be heard in their absence should they fail to be in court.
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